Tri-County Center, Inc. was founded in December of 1982. It was started by Yancy D., Big John, Clarence, and several others at that time.Yancy had a vacant room for rent behind his barber shop on Lippleman Road in Sharonville, Ohio. The room was about l5 feet by 30 feet, and this was our humble beginning. From the start, there was difficulty with principles over personalities.

The Beginners Meeting was started in November of 1983. Mary M. was responsible for starting and getting these meetings off the ground. The original Chair people were Sylvia, Bill R., Mary M., Larry M., and several others who’s names escape me at this time. The first Beginners Meeting was attended by Bill R. Chairman , and one other person.

In August or September of 1984 Larry M. was asked to be on the board of directors, finishing out someone else’s term. Personalities and self interest were becoming a problem. In October, an election of officers was held , with the requirements to serve on the Board, cut from two years sobriety to one year, due to not having enough members with two years sobriety. Bill R., Jack L., Larry M., and Fred M. were elected, Yancy, a fellow he sponsored and one other, who I also forget, were the carryovers from the outgoing Board.

Shortly after that Board was established we called for a general membership meeting. At that meeting some cutting questions were asked, which actually became the catalyst in eventually deciding to break from the Lippleman Rd. location. After that meeting Yancy as the landlord was going to double the rent from $300 to $600 per month.

Mary M. was sure that if “We took the bull by the horns, people would come out of the woodwork to support us”. A petition was posted on the wall should we move or should we stay, the results were as best as memory serves 45 move / 0 stay. The search for a new location was on.

We found what we now call the old building at the present location. Rent was to be $600 and we had no idea if we could pay that much or not. Bill R. Larry M. and Jack L. decided that we would sign the lease and the three of us would guarantee the rent for the first year should there be a shortfall. There never was a shortfall.

There was $1000 in a building fund . This was used to remodel the old building for meetings. Most everything was donated and there was no shortage of volunteers to do the work. The people had indeed “come out of the woodwork” to support the club.

On December 29th, 1984 we moved into the old building. Larry M was chairing the beginners meeting at the barber shop location. After the meeting, everyone was asked to pick up their chairs and everything else that belonged to the club, put it in their cars, then take it up to the new location. The barber shop location was cleaned and the move was over.

Bill R. chaired the 12:30 meeting December 29, 1984, the first meeting to be held at the Kemper Rd. location. On New Years Eve the 2nd anniversary of the club was celebrated 92 people were in attendance.

In the beginning at Kemper Rd. the parking lot held 13 cars, and where the motel is now, there was a field with a small area of blacktop that was used for additional parking. A drawing of a thermometer was placed on the wall for the parking lot fund, and as the fund grew the heat went up on the thermometer. We could only afford to put down gravel at first, but the support was coming, and for the most part this has been the case ever since.

June of 1987 the old building was purchased . Somewhere between 6 and 8 people pledged $3000 each. This would go into an account to guarantee the mortgage would be covered if we came on hard times. In about five years our $3000 pledges were returned with interest.

The new building became available and was purchased in 1990 or 1991 (?). The New Building was remodeled to suit the needs of the club. The remodel took up most of the summer, once again, with plenty of member-donated or discounted material and labor.

In the summer of 1997 due to membership growth and some discontent, a petition to change The Code of Regulations was posted July 11 1997. There was also another petition posted to change Tri-County Center, Inc. into a Dues-paying Club. At an August Special Meeting of the members of the Corporation, the request to change the By-laws to form a Membership Council was voted in with a wide majority of those attending. The petition to become a Dues-paying Club was rejected.

At this revision we are financially sound with both buildings being mortgage-free. The Club continues to grow and for the most part is keeping in mind our Primary Purpose to Encourage Sobriety and To Carry Out The Ideas and Objectives of ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.